Ball and spring wire catapult



Oct. 18, 1966 R. ELLIS BALL AND SPRING WIRE CATAPULT Filed July 14, 1964I NVEN TOR.

United States Patent 3,279,449 BALL AND SPRING WIRE CATAPULT RobertEllis, 350 E. Plaza, Solana Beach, Calif. Filed July 14, 1964, Ser. No.382,580 Claims. (Cl. 12410) This invention relates to toys and theprincipal object of the invention is the provision of a cheap, simpleand amusing toy for childrens use from two to twelve years of age, thetoy being of the upward propulsion type, from a table or floor andadaptable for inside or outside use.

Another object of the invention is to provision of means for giving tothe projectile an extra impulse.

Other and further objects will appear in the specifications and bespecifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings exemplifying the invention, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of the catapult.

FIG. 2 is a top View illustrating the means of propulsion.

FIG. 3 is a side view of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustrating the means for imparting extrapropulsive effort to the projectile.

FIG. 5 is a side view illustrating the beginning of the downward stroke.

Referring to the drawings in which like characters and numerals ofreference refer to similar parts throughout the several views, thenumeral 7 denotes the handle of a spring-wire catapult the other end ofwhich handle comprises a circular loop 8, bisected at 9, thus formingtwo semi-circular loops 8A. The two oppositely disposed semi-circularloops 8A are therefor tensioned against each other in the direction ofarrows 10 when an object larger in diameter than the circular loop 8,such as a ball 11, is inserted therebetween, as illustrated in FIG. 2.Additional lateral pressure against the opposite sides of the ball 11 isprovided by the fingers F and thumb T as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2as the handle 7 is held in the hand, which permits squeezing the handleparts 7 together in the direction of arrows 10, thus augmenting thenormal pressure of the spring handle.

The operation of this toy is as follows: the child simply lays the ball11 onto a horizontal table or floor surface 12 and then places thecircular loop 8 over the top of the ball and presses downward in thedirection of arrow 13, the bisected loop sections 8A thus being causedto spread, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the diameter of the ballbeing slightly greater than that of the inside of the loop 8. As thehandle 7 is pressed downward still further, past the maximum diameter ofthe ball 11, the

lateral pressure of the two oppositely disposed semi-circular loops 8Awill cause the ball to be propelled upwards from the floor 12 in thedirection of arrow 16 a considerable distance to the delight of thechild. This action is then repeated as often as desired. It will beapparent that the height of the ascension of ball 11 from floor 12 islargely determined by the degree of lateral pressure exerted in thedirection of arrows 10 by the fingers F and thumb T respectivelyalthough the lateral compressive pressure of the spring arms 7 will alsosufiice to catapult the ball.

To further increase the height of ascension of ball 11, a helicalcompression spring 14 may be employed, the spring resting on the floor12 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the circular opening at the top of thespring serving as a convenient resting place for the ball 11. As thehandle 7 is pressed downwards, the loops 8A will exert pressure on topof the ball 11, this pressure first compressing the helical spring 14,the resistance of this spring being slightly less than that of thesemi-loops 8A, and as the loops 8A pass the maximum diameter of the ball11 on their downice ward path, both springs will suddenly act in unisonand propel the ball 11 to a greater height than if only the spring wirecatapult 7 were used, as will be readlly understood. The outer diameterof the helical compression spring 14 is less than the inner diameter ofthe loop 8 so that the loop 8 will pass over the helical spring body 14,as indicated by dotted lines 7A in FIG. 4, thus preventing the helicalspring 14 from bouncing away at each performance. It will be noted thatthe catapult actually traps the spring 14 by clamping it against thefloor 12, the bottom convolution of the spring being denoted by thenumeral 15.

Many different appearing objects may be used as a projectile such as asimulation rocket 11A, see FIG. 5, which also illustrates the beginningof each downward stroke of the catapult, the helical compression spring14 being shown in its normal expanded condition.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have evolved asimple, cheap and asuming toy especially adapted for young children,consisting of only two or three parts and enjoying considerableamusement and which will ast a long time, also affording competitiveskill in trying to catapult the projectile to the highest point.

I claim:

1. A toy comprising a ball and a spring wire catapult means, saidcatapult having a looped spring handle, each projecting end of whichlooped spring handle terminates in a generally semi-circular endportion, said end portions being mutually oppositely disposed andforming an opening of generally circular configuration, said openingbeing slightly smaller in diameter than said ball so that when said endportions of said spring handle are pressed downward and forced over saidball the said ball will be projected upwardly through said circularopening afforded by the momentarily separated semi-circular ends of saidspring handle.

2. A toy as in claim 1, and a helical spring adapted to be placedupright on a solid surface beneath said ball, the bottom of said ballresting within the opening of the upper loop of said helical spring.

3. A toy as in claim 1, and a helical spring adapted to be placedupright on a solid surface beneath said ball, the bottom of said ballresting within the opening of the upper loop of said spring, the saidhelical spring being of lesser diameter than the aforesaid opening ofsaid catapult.

4. A toy as in claim 1, and a helical spring adapted to be placedupright on a solid surface beneath said ball, the bottom of said ballresting within the opening of the upper loop of said spring, the saidhelical spring being at its upper end of lesser diameter than theaforesaid opening of said catapult means, the lowermost loop of saidhelical spring is of equal or larger diameter than said opening of saidcatapult means.

5. A toy as in claim 1, and a helical spring, said helical spring beingadapted to be placed upright onto a solid surface, the said ball beingadapted to 'be placed onto the upper loo of said helical spring, saidhelical spring being of lesser diameter than the inner diameter of theaforesaid circular configuration of said catapult, and the compressionresistance of said helical spring being of lesser resistance than thatof the said spring handle at the moment it passes the maximum diameterof said ball.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 3,528 1905 GreatBritain.

RICHARD E. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. W. R. BROWNE, Assistant Examiner.

1. A TOY COMPRISING A BALL AND A SPRING WIRE CATAPULT MEANS, SAIDCATAPULT HAVING A LOOPED SPRING HANDLE, EACH PROJECTING END OF WHICHLOOPED SPRING HANDLE TERMINATES IN A GENERALLY SEMI-CIRCULAR ENDPORTION, SAID END PORTIONS BEING MUTUALLY OPPOSITE DISPOSED AND FORMINGAN OPENING OF GENERALLY CIRCULAR CONFIGURATION, SAID OPENING BEINGSLIGHTLY SMALLER IN DIAMETER THAN SAID BALL SO THAT WHEN SAID ENDPORTIONS OF SAID SPRING HANDLE ARE PRESSED DOWNWARD AND FORCED OVER SAIDBALL THE SAID BALL WILL BE PROJECTED UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID CIRCULAROPENING AFFORDED BY THE MOMENTARILY SEPARATED SEMI-CIRCULAR ENDS OF SAIDSPRING HANDLE.